Birds. Diverse and fluttery reptiles. Airborne dinosaurs. Messengers of the gods. Wondrous in their capabilities and adaptability and fascinating in their habits. They burrow, construct, hunt, forage, swim, fly, migrate, and surpass even humans in their mastery of the domains of air, sea, and land. It’s easy to see why they dominate human attention and are the most recognized and studied group of animals on earth.
We can thank the keen-eyed talent of John Kalman for allowing us views of our local and migrating birds that we would never get on our own. His stunning photographs are almost portraits, inviting the viewer to see fine detail, colour, texture, and sometimes even emotion. The dedication required comes easily for Kalman, who declares, “Birdwatching is absolutely one of my favourite things to do.”
An enthusiastic photographer since he was a young boy, Kalman admits that some early photos might have had “more tree than bird.” A degree in film (from UBC) and subsequent years working in theatre and film have particularly sharpened his focus and given him the tools to support his passion for photography. Kalman and his wife, Suzanne, have made their home in Halfmoon Bay for 30 years. In a place where almost every shot is a nature shot, Kalman has gone a step further by deliberately cultivating a garden with trees and shrubs likely to attract birds. That said, his artistic process tends to be more unstructured:
“The process for me becomes almost meditative, to be in the moment, and the camera can become secondary. I’m aware of and open to whatever presents itself, of the light conditions, the weather, the motion of the branches.”
Kalman’s images not only give us a close encounter, they give us an almost painterly composition that directs our focus to the hardly believable action of the wings, and particularly to the eyes. Locking eyes gives us a private and precious moment. Years in the field helps him bring this to us:
“When you’ve spent enough time observing birds, you can predict to some degree their movement and behaviour and become familiar with specific ones by their distinctive features. I love it when a hummingbird in my yard comes and hovers directly in front of me as if to say ‘hello’ . . .”
Hummingbirds are strongly featured in mythology as symbols of joy, healing, and as messengers between the human and spirit worlds. At least four species of hummingbird have been recorded on the Sunshine Coast, with the Rufous hummingbird a regular migrant. The Anna’s hummingbird colonized here in the 1970s after steadily pushing up the Pacific coast from California. It is now a year-round resident. Sugar water provided by residents and deliberate early and late-flowering gardens, just like Kalman’s, have aided the expansion. Why does he love them so?
“Hummingbirds to me are almost magical, they are just so unique.”
Visit John Kalman’s booth at the Sechelt farmers & artisans market every Saturday from 9am to 2 pm on Cowrie Street in downtown Sechelt.